Gavin Smith is CEO of Pizza Pilgrims, the Neapolitan pizza brand that started as a founder-led pizzeria, born out of a pilgrimage through Italy in a three wheeled Ape, and has grown into a 31-site, 700 person business across the UK, all driven by a simple purpose: making people happier, one pizza at a time. He joined as Operations Director in 2018, became Managing Director in 2020, and was appointed CEO in 2025. Under his leadership, Pizza Pilgrims is scaling towards 50+ UK sites while opening its first international locations in Munich, backed by McWin Capital and operating alongside sister brand L'Osteria. The business holds B-Corp certification, ranks #1 in the UK and #6 globally among pizzerias, and obsesses around team and guest experience. Before Pizza Pilgrims, Gavin held senior operational roles at Wahaca and Mitchells & Butlers' and The Restaurant Group. At the Restaurant Conference, Gavin will share what it's really like taking a challenger brand into its next phase, life under new private equity ownership, and the realities of building Pizza Pilgrims' first sites in Germany.